


Subject 98-HH-37 of Maple Bay

by Cakeicing99



Category: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Cryptid Hunter Robert Small, M/M, Monster - Freeform, Mystery, Science Experiment, cryptid AU, secret agents and evil scientists, talk of predators and kidnapping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-12 02:36:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11727735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cakeicing99/pseuds/Cakeicing99
Summary: After Robert Small falls into a romance with a human-hybrid monster who escaped from a science lab, he and Grayson Kelly are caught in a mystery regarding a kidnapping and an animalistic creature on the loose.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 

Grayson Kelly scraped the bottom of his shoe against the asphalt sidewalk before stiffening up and walking, making sure to raise his feet up more. He knew there was no way his shoe would come off just from a scuffle, but he had to make sure he was as quiet as can be. 'It's okay, Grayson. Your shoes aren't coming off," he thought to himself.

The neighborhood of Maple Bay was fresh. Real. It smelled nice. Grayson made it past the residential area to find the shopping district. He bit his lip, thinking of his daughter Amanda as he noticed a display of bicycles in the window of a store. What is she doing now? Hopefully she is playing well with the Christiansen children and being a good babysitter. Hopefully not unleashing her secret before an entire family. Grayson looked at his reflection in the glass pane. 'Man. You really gotta relax a bit," he thought. 'You're gonna use up all your energy worrying about the what ifs. You gotta learn to hold your stamina. That's how things like you survive.' Grayson touched his cheek, making sure the makeup he used to cover one of his many secrets was still good. 'Still good,' he thought. 

Walking down the street, Grayson caught a whiff of something familiar. He backed up and looked up at the sign that hung above the open door. "The Coffee Spoon" the sign said. Grayson shivered. In a normal life, he might have enjoyed coffee. But throughout his memories of the lab, the scent of freshly brewed coffee was swirled in with the scents of antiseptic and sanitizer. It haunted him.

Grayson walked on, trying to supress his lingering memories. 'Gotta relax.' He eventually walked into the grimier, dustier part of town. Grayson noticed a bar- "Jim and Kim's" and looked up to the sky. It was a mild afternoon. Enough time to...catch a drink. 'Is that how normal people say it? Catch a drink?' Grayson shook his head. Doesn't matter. He was in his late thirties. He had an ID. He had cash. He could go for his first alcoholic drink, why not. 

Grayson stepped into the bar, taking in a scent of wonderful food and a strong scent of something alcoholic. He tried not to bring attention to himself and acted normal, making sure not to scuff his shoes against the floor. He sat down next to a couple who were chatting. 

"What will it be?"

Grayson looked up to see a bartender. 

"Um...one..."

The man of the couple beside Grayson spun his chair to the bartender. "One more shot of whiskey," he said.

The bartender turned around to grab a glass bottle of brown liquid and poured it carefully into a small cup.

"I'll have what...what he's having," Grayson spoke up. 

The bartender nodded and poured Grayson a shot. 

The woman of the couple smirked a little at Grayson. "Trying something new, ain'tcha?"

"What?"

The man rolled his eyes. "Mary's a people-watcher. She does things like this. Don't mind her, or her sense of humor either."

"Hmph," Mary said. "Not like your sense of humor is any better."

Grayson nodded, trying to keep up with the adult conversation he was having before throwing back the shot into his mouth and gulping it fast. "God!" He gasped. 

"I knew it," Mary chuckled.

"What's wrong? Can't handle it?" The man laughed.

Grayson squinted his eyes and raised his eyebrows- not in a rude or condescending way he hoped. "How was your first time? I bet you reacted worse."

The man raised an eyebrow. "My first time drinking? Hah, I was having such a good time I can't even remember it."

Mary took a sip of what Grayson assumed was wine in a curvy glass and raised her flat hand for a high-five from the man. "Way to go, Robert!"

High-fives...Grayson recognized this ritual. It was something Dr. Carson had taught to him, back when he was still in the lab. Grayson's face dropped.

"Hm?" Robert asked. "What's the matter? Need another drink?" 

Before Grayson could say anything, Robert waved the bartender over. "Two more shots of whiskey for me and my friend here."

"Hmph, now I'm starting to feel left out here," Mary groaned. "Nevermind, I'm gonna go hit on some young guy who doesn't know what he's doing with his life."

"Have fun, Mary," Robert said and took his shot of whiskey. 

Grayson gulped before taking down his drink as well.

"Hm, you take whiskey pretty well. How's you say we go for a walk?" 

Grayson looked Robert up and down. He was a man in his forty's, wearing a leather jacket. He was slightly misshaven, his stubble grown well on his face. Overall, Grayson would say that Robert was handsome. 'Oh what the heck? He seems fun. Fun is good,' Grayson thought. 

"Sure, I'll go with you," Grayson said. Grayson paid his tab and walked out of the bar with Robert and they began a walk through the darker parts of town. 

"Don't bother with that small talk shit," Robert spoke up. "I hate it."

"No problem," Grayson said, not really taking much account into Robert's gruffness. It might even seem that Grayson liked it. Robert was straight-forward, no bullshit. Well, the last part crumbled to pieces when Robert told Grayson a story about his big scary pitbull only for him to chuckle and admit his dog is actually quite tiny. As they reached Robert's house, Grayson realized they were at his cul de sac. What a coincidence to live so close to Robert. 

"Shall we come in?"

"Hm?" Grayson asked.

"I was asking if you'd like to follow me inside," Robert said.

Grayson looked at him. Despite having said nothing about it, Grayson could tell what it was Robert planned. And it wasn't something of malice. Not what Grayson was used to.

Grayson shook his head. "Not today. See you around later, yeah?"

"Of course," Robert said. "See you later."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Amanda was asleep in the living room. She had collapsed on a big spread out blanket with the twins she babysat. After helping Grayson and Amanda carry in the furniture, Joseph offered Amanda a babysitting job for the night while he went out to check on his yacht. Grayson had a quick chat with Joseph before noticing Mary sitting at the dining table. Wasn't she hitting on young men? Is she...cheating on her husband? Grayson decided not to get into it. It's safer that way. Grayson scooped up Amanda and thanked Joseph before walking to his house.

Grayson tucked Amanda in bed and sighed gently, watching her sleep peacefully. It wasn't often that Amanda slept soundly. Not only did she retain so many bad memories of the lab, but she was fifteen, packed with hormones and and teenage angst. Grayson looked down at Amanda's wrist- scales. Grayson gulped. Amanda was so young, she doesn't fully understand her abilities. The only time she could freely be in her beast form was in a pond in the woods where she would let scales spread across her flesh, fins flicking out of her wrists and ankles, a thick film slipping over her eyeballs to protect them from the water. 

Grayson carefully closed the door shut and went into his room. He looked at himself in the mirror before settling down into bed. He remembered how that man smelled. Robert. It was clear to Grayson that Robert didn't shower that often but he still retained a specific smell that made Grayson feel at peace. A rugged smell. 

Grayson pulled off his shoes and socks and stared at his feet. He felt a bit of shame when it came to them. His feet were the only things he couldn't hide as easily. Instead of five toes on each, Grayson had three large toes and a thumb on his heel. They were optimal for holding onto tree branches. The lab...Grayson's eyes turned cold. They made him into a weapon. A sharpshooter. A sniper. Grayson peeled off the false skin from over his cheekbones and opened his second pair of eyes. They were sore from the day of secrecy. Night was when Grayson could truly be himself. But unfortunately he had no opportunity to stalk the woods of Maple Bay just yet. Not when he had to watch over Amanda. And he certainly couldn't just leave her overnight for a sleepover at the Christiansens' house. What kind of father would he be to abandon his own child for a night of roaming around the woods?

Grayson twisted his neck, standing before the mirror and examining how far he could turn his head, cracking joints. Then he stretched out his legs, extra joints forming and bending his legs in a way no human would ever want their legs to be. Grayson stretched one more time, taking advice from Craig to take a deep breath first and then curled up into bed.

The next morning was a school day. Amanda was picked up by the bus after Grayson fixed her a breakfast. Grayson looked out to the woods in the distance. With Amanda at school, he could do some roaming around in his beast form...

Grayson looked down at his phone to see a notification on his Dadbook. The app was something Craig helped him with, something to help him interact with other dads. Grayson unlocked his screen. The text message read:

"Hey, bud. Wanna go out for a ride? I got some whiskey for us."

It was Robert. 'Weird guy,' Grayson thought. 'But it's not like I have anything else planned. Don't have to work today anyway.'

"Sure thing," Grayson texted back. "I'll wait for you outside my house."

The hang-out, as Grayson called it, went great. He and Robert went to a graveyard to talk about "cryptid legends". Grayson was very interested in what Robert had to say about these stories- perhaps they were true. If a thing like Grayson existed, why can't the Dover Ghost? Grayson told a few tales of his to Robert, most of them stories from his time at the lab, and one that he made up just for fun. It was...different. Grayson was talking about some of his experiences...and he didn't even feel bothered by it. Perhaps cloaking the truth as a fairy tail helped. Grayson enjoyed watching Robert's eyebrows twitch at some of the tales. 

Near the end of the school day, Robert drove Grayson home. They both agreed to hang out later when Grayson had the time. Robert was actually quite understanding of Grayson being a single parent with a young child. Perhaps Robert had been in a similar situation before. He was a dad, but his child or children were never mentioned and Grayson never brought it up. A month passed of occassional hang-outs until one day Amanda begged her father to let her sleepover at Emma P.'s house. Grayson was surprised Amanda was ready to sleepover at a friend's so early but decided to let her go, but not before another strict lecture about keeping her scales and fins a secret.

"Can I still go swimming at her pool?" Amanda asked.

"Yes, just don't get too into it, okay Manda-Panda?" Grayson smiled.

Amanda nodded and gathered up her things. Grayson smiled to notice she packed in her stuffed panda. He made it himself. He had a lot of pride in his work. As an emergency medical responder, he had the skills to work with small or delicate wounds without spending much time at any medical building. His job was perfect. Those lab workers and agents would never expect him to work in the medical field. He gulped. 'Oh god. What if they find me? What if they find Amanda?'

"Dad? What are you thinking about?" 

Grayson snapped out of his worried thoughts and looked at Amanda. "Huh? Oh, don't worry about it, dumpling. Let's go to the Christiansens' house. Let's go."

After dropping Amanda off at Emma's house, Grayson checked his phone and opened up Dadbook. He texted Robert:

"Hey my daughter is at a sleepover. Wanna hang out?"

Robert responds an hour later:

"Sure. Bring your coat and boots."

Grayson complied and settled to wear his standard outfit- a black turtleneck sweater with cargo shorts underneath a waterproof coat and boots.

He waited for Robert outside his house.

"Since I don't remember asking before, what's with the getup?"

"My...getup?"

"You're wearing a sweater and coat on top, and shorts beneath. Looks like an imbalance."

Grayson blinked. 'Oh crap.' The reason why he wore sweaters all the time was because one of his flaws of being a...a monster was that he had trouble regulating internal temperature. He just lost body heat easily. But his shorts were there in case he needed to run away fast. To burst out his real legs and run the heck away. So now what? What does he say?

"Eh, it's okay. You can keep your secret," Robert smirked. "How's about we go cryptid hunting?"

"Cryptid hunting?" 'We're going to hunt things...things like me?'

"You're not...scared...are you?" Robert asked in a dark voice.

"Of course not," Grayson said.

"Good. I've got a bottle of liquor and some whiskey, let's wait out this sunset and go looking for that Dover Ghost." Robert pulled out the bottles and took a small swig before passing it to Grayson. They spent the time in silence, Grayson remembering how Robert liked the quiet. As the sun went down, Robert got out of the truck. Grayson acted fast, hopping out of the truck. Robert opened the back of the truck and pulled out two flashlights and several knives of various sized packed in leather sheaths. He handed about half of the knives to Grayson and showed him how to strap them onto his body and gave him a flashlight.

"Alright," Robert grinned. "Time find those fuckin' cryptids."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As the night grew colder, Grayson started appreciating Robert's text to bring a coat more and more. His cargo shorts, though...not so much. But he reminded himself- 'what do you love more? Keeping your legs warm or keeping yourself and your daughter safe?'

"Holy shit!" Robert cried.

"What is it?" Grayson asked and shone his flashlight in front of Robert.

"Look at this!" Robert held out a stone ring. It was battered from the elements but it still held its shape. "This is a leaving- no, not that kind of leaving- of the Opiele Demon! It's a vile little bastard that chews minerals for food, but with the shape of its mouth, the rocks it eats are left in a ring shape."

"Do you think it's here?" Grayson asked, looking around the forest.

"Oh, it might just be looking at us right now, getting ready to pounce and turn our torsos into ring-shaped masses of flesh. It might be stalking up to us right now, gaining on us, smelling us-"

Through the monotonous sound of wind rustling through trees, a high pitched shriek emerges.

"Oh, shit! Time to go!" Robert grabs Grayson by the hand and they run the fuck out of the forest, Grayson more gracefully leaping over tree trunks and fallen branches and Robert stumbling over clumps of fungus and dropping his flashlight. By the time they've reached the clearing to the outskirts of the forest, even Grayson was out of breath. He wasn't made for sprinting. 

"Hhhhh-oly shit! Ha ha!" Robert laughed as if in victory. "Take that, you oversized cretin! No dinner for you tonight!"

Grayson couldn't help but laugh at Robert's screaming. Having extra sensory eyes certainly helped Grayson today, as he noticed the source of the high pitched shriek was merely a bird that must have been trying to scare away the two. And it certainly worked for it.

Robert put his hands on his knees and took a breath. "Phew! Well, there's that. I don't have my flashlight anymore, but I got," he holds up the ring, "the ring!"

Grayson smiles and gives Robert a standing ovation. Robert chuckles. "How's about we take this old truck back to the city?"

"Why not stay here?" Grayson had to supress the biggest toothy grin he ever wanted to make. "The demon is far behind us. We're safe here. And even better- there's no one in sight."

Robert raised an eyebrow. He said nothing but went to pull out the bottles of alcohol from the truck and sat in the empty bed with Grayson, looking at the stars.

"I wonder what else could be out there..." Grayson wondered out loud.

"Oh yeah..." Robert closed his eyes.

Grayson felt an urge to do something stupid. Something incredibly dangerous. 'I can do it. I'm gonna do it. Today. My secret will be out to yet one more person. And better yet...no one will ever believe him.' Grayson couldn't hide the smirk anymore.

"Grayson?" Robert snorted. "What's going on?"

"You know, Rob-"

"Don't call me Rob."

"You know, Robert...you really don't need to worry about any Opiele demon anymore. You don't need to run. Because, trust me, I think you've got something scarier...badder...even more horrible than you can ever imagine right under your nose..." Grayson suddenly began clawing at his face.

"Grayson?" Robert asked in confusion, yet calmly taking a swig of whiskey.

As Grayson pulled his hands away his makeup peeled off. His false teeth fell out. His lips stretched into a nasty grin and his legs that dangled over the side of the truck cracked into their true shape- four joints, limbs zig-zagging.

Robert choked on his drink and the bottom fell out of his grasp and rolled down his lap, crashing to the ground- just as Grayson finished rotating his head around completely. "Boo."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"F-f-f-fuck...." wheezed Robert. His eyes were wide and he leaned slightly away from Grayson. 

Grayson let out a laugh. "Oh, that felt so good. You will never know how great it feels to let it all out and truly be yourself."

Robert stuttered. "W...what the fuck..." He began to come to his senses. He was used to running away at any sight of the paranormal. He was used to even at least screaming out. But this? This was beyond what he could have expected. Robert very carefully reached out and tapped Grayson on the nose. "Am I high?"

"Nope. Just a little drunk," Grayson smiled.

"Oh my god..." Robert said. "What...are you?"

"You know, I'm really not sure," Grayson said. He untwisted his head and relaxed back on the edge of the truck bed. 

Robert stood and stared at him unblinking. 

"Gee, you're doing better than I thought. You didn't run away," Grayson said.

"R-r- ha ha...run away? Me? Never," Robert brought his hand to his face. 

Grayson brought a clawed hand up to Robert's face and let the smooth side of his claws stroke his stubble grazed cheek. "You won't run away from me, would you?"

Robert cracked a nervous smile that twitched at the corners. "N-no?"

"Good," Grayson smiled and stopped himself. 'What are you doing? What if someone else sees? What if...'

Robert swallowed and looked up at Grayson expectantly.

"Um..." Grayson's smiled dropped entirely. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have." As he pulled away, Robert reached out and tentatively grabbed Grayson's arm. 

"Wait...why did you stop?"

"Huh?" 

"That was the best paranormal experience I've ever had in my entire life! Is...is something wrong?" Robert tilted his head and licked his lips, still riding out the nervousness.

"I don't know...why I did that. I'm stupid..." Grayson closed all four of his eyes and was silent for a moment. "Well...what the fuck. Who cares. I didn't think this through but at least I know I'm not gonna face any kind of reprecussions for this."

"What do you mean?" Robert asked.

"With your bullshit stories, nobody in town is ever gonna believe you."

"You...mother...fucker," Robert threw his head back and let out a laugh. "I can't believe this is actually happening! You got me!"

Grayson smiled a little.

"So...you're a reptile-owl monster guy with a young daughter and you move into the cul de sac..." Robert nodded as if completely understanding. 

"Well, there's more to it, but yeah," Grayson said and scratched the back of his head gently. "Now that the mood's kinda ruined, you wanna drink some more?"

"I think...I think I've drank enough for tonight. But this doesn't mean any mood has to be ruined," Robert said softly and leaned in closer to Grayson.

Grayson blushed a bit, focusing intensely on Robert's lips. He's seen this in movies. Kissing. But there is two different types of kissing: there's kissing Amanda's forehead when she settles to sleep, kissing her boo-boos when she was little. But this is a special kind of kiss. A romantic kiss. Grayson closed all four of his eyes, and gently closed the gap between him and Robert. Robert wrapped his arms gently around Grayson's body, taking a breath and wincing at the poke of one of Grayson's sharp teeth. But that only made Robert seem to want Grayson more, running his hand through Grayson's hair, kissing harder. 

Grayson didn't want to be out of this game. Touching. Romantic touching. He reminded himself to be gentle as he snuck his clawed hands under Robert's leather jacket- remembering how much it meant to Robert. He wouldn't want to ruin the night with a scratch in the leather. Grayson raked his claws down Robert's back. Robert groaned into their kissing and tried to slip his tongue in before deciding it was a bad idea with Grayson's teeth in the way. 

They eventually broke apart, huffing. Robert looked down at Grayson's bizarrely shaped legs. "Can I...touch you there?" 

Grayson licked his lips and nodded. "Yes."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The two men woke up the next morning in Robert's apartment. The apartment was messy- full of garbage and half eaten food. It didn't bother Grayson as much as it confused him. He was taught by Dr. Carson, the very person responsible for helping Grayson and Amanda to escape, that garbage is unhealthy to eat. Grayson did have a bit of an urge to scour through the trash cans outside of restaurants on his first walk with Dr. Carson out in public. Apparently digging through garbage cans is considered unacceptable in human society. So Grayson suppressed his urge to nibble on a poptart crust on the nightstand for a midnight snack, even though Robert was deep asleep. He seemed so tired, even when sleeping. Grayson felt a bit worried for this man. He drank a lot of alcohol. Another thing Dr. Carson taught Grayson was unhealthy. He didn't seem to shower that often. Not that Grayson minded but it was considered to be unacceptable to go in public smelling bad. And there was something else...something that Grayson couldn't quite put his finger on. Something was going on with Robert that he hasn't talked about yet. Maybe he won't talk about it at all. Robert seems to be that kind of person- until it brews into a boil and destroys him from the inside. Grayson lay close to Robert and closed his eyes, revelling in the simple silence. He woke up to find Robert gone. Grayson folded his legs in like a normal person and got up out of bed. He found his clothes and walked out of the bedroom to find Robert making breakfast. 

"Hope you like sausage links," he grumbled and put a steaming hot plate of sausages on the junk piled table. "Sausage links and freezy pops."

"Thanks," Grayson smiled. "Oh shit...my teeth!"

"You bite your tongue?"

"No, my false teeth. I think I left them outside the woods. I can't be seen without them."

"Not to worry, Grayson. We'll relax, take it easy for ten minutes and enjoy some sausages and popsicles. Otherwise the links will go cold and the popsicles will melt. Then we'll go back for your teeth."

"Thank you," Grayson sighed and took a few sausage links on his plate. 

"Where were you born?"

"Can't that be another secret I get to keep?" Grayson asked. 

"Well, I'm just curious. How were you...born or created?"

"I was..." Grayson gulped down sausage. 'Is this really a good idea to tell him? There is the good thing that I can trust everyone not to believe him if he tells...but I can't tell him about the lab. He might get to into finding it. He might ask too many questions about it. He might...get hurt.'

Robert bit right into a blue popsicle. "You don't have to answer, you know. Sometimes things are better left unknown."

Grayson sighed. "Okay."

They ate their breakfast in silence. Once all the sausages were gone, Robert grunted and got up out of his chair. "Let's go."

Grayson retracted his claws and closed his lower eyes. He put his hands to his cheeks to hide them incase anyone walking by the cul de sac would notice two suspicious lines on his face. They got in Robert's truck and took little Betsy along with them and drove off to the woods to retrieve Grayson's false teeth. But as they approached last night's parking spot, Robert braked, nearly throwing Betsy off Grayson's lap.

"Oh shit..." Grayson muttered.

Near the woods stood a group of men in black suits with sunglasses. The agents of the lab. They were here.

"These guys with the feds?" asked Robert.

"You could say that...now get in reverse and get us out of here before they see us," Grayson said.

Robert did as Grayson said immediately and drove back to the cul de sac. "Well shit," Robert said. "What are we gonna do about your teeth?"

Grayson sighed. "I have an emergency pair but it's my last one. I better not fuck it up."

Robert grunted. "You know, Grayson? If those feds are ever on to you again, I'll let you stake out at my place. I'm old. I don't give a shit if the government arrests me for harboring a cryptid."

Grayson puts his head in his hands. "Yeah. I don't know what I'm gonna do."

"Well, I'd recommend laying low until they leave. I'll be your informant on where the guys are and when they'll leave," Robert said.

Grayson sighed deeply. "The sentiment is appreciated, Robert. I'm going to go look through my emergency manual. See you later." Grayson stepped out of the truck and walked on home. He cleaned himself up in the shower and then applied makeup over his lower pair of eyes. And with his disguise all finished, he went to Emma's house to go pick up Amanda.  
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Where do you think it went?" 

Agent George looked up to his agent in training, Barry. He sighed. "Well, I don't think that traitor Dr. Carson was a part of this. He only released those human-hybrids. It would have to be the dumbest stunt that man ever pulled to purposefully assist this thing. Subject 98 has no traits of a human. No empathy, no restraint. We have to go after this thing unlike any escaped subject we've ever had."

"So we just forget about the hybrids?" Barry asked.

"For now," Agent George muttered. "At this point our anonymity is at stake. The hybrids will be too afraid to speak out. But if Subject 98 ends up taking down civilian lives on its rampage..."

"Our corporation will be toast for sure," Barry finished.

"The government would withdraw funding and pretend it never knew us."

"Well shit," Barry huffed. 

"Not well said, but your point is valid," Agent George said. "Let's go!" he commanded to his team. "Subject 98 has moved on from this part of the woods long ago. Split up and find some clues about this or we're never getting off the ground- understand? Our mission is to find Subject 98 and bring it back to the lab with minimal loss of life. Subject 98 is wanted dead or alive." Agent George then proceeded to assign different parts of the team to different parts of Maple Bay. "Everything is in our hands- from every team, to every individual. Do whatever it takes. Our mission begins...now!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Dad? Do we have to move or not? Dad!?"

"My god, Amanda, I have to think!"

"What's there to think about? If the agents are here we have to go!" Amanda snapped back. "I don't know about you- but I am never going back to that lab!"

"How many times are we going to have to run? How many times do we have to start over? We have to end this cycle, Amanda," Grayson said, putting a hand to his temple. 

"What's so different about this place?...no. It's not that guy you met...Robert?" Amanda scowled. "You're not seriously staying here for some romance are you?"

Grayson jolted. "R-romance? I don't know what you're talking about. Amanda...what are you talking about?"

"You think I'm stupid or something? The whole month of hanging out, going to the bar, being so happy whenever I'm sleeping over at one of the Emmas house." Amanda crossed her arms.

"...He offered protection."

"Wh-what!? You told him about-" Amanda turned away, her breathing going brisk. "I can't believe you. You risked our lives for your boyfriend."

"It's not like anyone would believe him!" Grayson immediately began doubting himself again. 

"I'm packing my things. In case you change your mind for the better," Amanda muttered and slammed her bedroom door.

Grayson let out a shaky sigh. 'What the hell am I doing?'  
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Lucien Bloodmarch tugged off the black hankercheif from over his upper arm. He winced, screwing his eyes shut. The bitemark was still there, the teeth denting and carving into his flesh with purple bruising his pale skin. The bitemark itself was shaped like a lemon, and it was much bigger than any human being's mouth could be. Lucien noticed Ernest coming down the alley. He quickly pulled up the hankerchief to cover the bite.

"Hey dorkus," Ernest grunted.

"...Hey," Lucien mumbled.

"What's with the hankercheif? Moving on from edgy goth to cowboy now?"

"I am the best of both worlds,"Lucien smirked.

"So what is it you wanted to show me?" Ernest asked.

Lucien took a deep breath and pulled down the hankercheif again.

"Woah! Gnarly, man!" 

Lucien couldn't help but smile a bit at Ernest's comment. "Yeah. I heard this noise outside my dad's garden and something knocked me down."

Ernest came closer to examine the wound. "Okay, but seriously, you should go to the hospital."

"No, man, they'll think I'm crazy or something."

"Lucien. That's the dumbest fuckin' thing you ever said. There's evidence right there. It's on your arm."

"Yeah, but...the thing I saw...how would I explain that? Everyone's gonna find out I was smoking weed that night. Dad would be mad at me. They're gonna think this-" he covered the bitemark again- "is fabricated."

"That's still fucking stupid. If you don't go to the hospital, it's gonna get infected," Ernest grumbled. "Look, I just don't want my best weed dealer dead, okay?"

Lucien snorted. "Whatever. You know the way?"

"Remember when I broke my ankle because you threw my vape box on that old lady's roof?"

"And then you tried to climb that tree to get it and that old lady screamed at you and you fell?" Lucien laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, that. That's how I know, now let's go."  
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Agent George threw down the medical records on a table before his team. "We got a lead, boys. Yesterday at around 11 PM, Maple Bay resident Lucien Bloodmarch was bitten by a large creature with scales, as he describes. He went to the hospital this morning. The only people that we know of who have seen the bite mark besides the victim include the following: Ernest Hemingway Vega, Nurse Amy Dock, Doctor Jose Paxton, and Damien Bloodmarch."

"What is our course of action, commander?" agent-in-training, Barry asked.

"We don't know how this wound will effect Lucien. We must bring him in for testing until he is proven to be safe and/or until we bring in Subject 98."  
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Grayson was out on a walk, silently saying goodbye to Maple Bay. He didn't want to think about leaving Robert, so he put every memory of them together into the back of his head. 

'Goodbye Coffee Spoon that I've never gone to and never will...goodbye bicycle store...goodbye "Jim and Kim's"...goodb-' 

An agent's van! 'Oh shit!' Grayson ducked into an alley. He peeked his head out, just to make sure if it was time to run...but the agent was talking to...Lucien? Damien's boy? The agent pulled out an electrical weapon and stabbed it into Lucien's stomach. Lucien flailed his arms and legs with a small shriek before falling over. Grayson watched in horror as the agent lifted Lucien's skinny body and threw him into the van and drove off. 

'What the hell was that?' Grayson thought. 'Was Lucien just...kidnapped?' 

After a careful glance around the perimeter, Grayson stepped out. What should he do? Should he tell someone? If he did he could be connected by the government as a witness...but if he doesn't do anything, the lab could torture, mutilate, or destroy yet another child. But this is new. The lab usually used babies and young children who were given up by their parents to the government. Every so often the government would donate one to the lab. Grayson and Amanda just happened to be two of them. Was Lucien an escaped hybrid like them? 

'Okay. No more time to waste, Grayson. Just leave an anonymous tip to the police. That'll work.'


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: there is talk of predators and kidnappers

Chapter 7

There was a knock on the door the next morning. "I got it," grumbled Grayson. Thank god he just finished covering his second set of eyes. 

At the door was Brian. "Hello, Grayson. Um," he looked down to the ground worriedly. "There's been news that Lucien has been...taken."

Grayson forged a surprised and horrified look on his face. 

Brian sighed with much discomfort. "I just came to let you know to watch over your daughter. And to memorize a list of registered predators. And to look out for any suspicious activity."

Grayson nodded solemnly. "How's...Damien?"

"Ooh, not too good, my friend. But the whole neighborhood's sent in their support for him and Lucien."

Amanda walked up to the front door. "What's going on?"

"Amanda," Grayson turned around and put a hand on her shoulder. "I have no other way to put this. Your friend Lucien was taken."

Amanda's eyes glazed over. "You mean...he was kidnapped?" She backed away and put her hand over her eyes.

"Amanda..." Grayson tried to comfort her but she walked away, hiding away in her room.

Brian bit his lip, obviously hating his position as the bearer of bad news. "I'm...gonna go back to the group." He motioned to a small crowd of people in the loop of the cul de sac. They were talking to a policeman. There was a very serious aura amongst the neighbors. 

"I'll go join you all," Grayson said to Brian. Although he had said everything he can through the anonymous tip, he needed to show his neighbors he was supportive and just like them in humanity aspects.   
Grayson followed Brian to the group and listened in to what the policeman told them. It was all a lecture on keeping safe and looking out for any suspicious activity. But no mention of any agents or any electrical weapon. Just of a man who was well dressed who pulled Lucien into his SUV. Funny. Grayson had definitely specified the vehicle to be a van. 

Mary was standing by Damien with an arm around his shoulders and a grim look on her face. It looked like it took Damien so much just to be outside his manor. He wasn't wearing his Victorian era clothing or purple eye contacts or even his makeup. He was in a simple t-shirt and jeans, his hair half-heartedly pulled into a ponytail. His eyes were red and puffy and there were dark circles under his eyes. He rested his head on Mary's shoulder and she whispered something in his ear, most likely words of encouragement. 

Grayson noticed Robert standing idly in the outer skirts of the circle. His arms were crossed and a frown on his face, looking deep in thought. He caught Grayson's eye but Grayson dropped contact immediately. 

'I can't leave Maple Bay at this point,' Grayson thought. 'I have to do something about Lucien. I'm the only one who knows where he is and who took him.' Grayson looked up at Robert again. 'And I think I know who can help me.'


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Amanda's face dropped when Grayson told her his plan. "Dad...this is the worst thing you could ever do to us. Besides basically marching straight back to the lab. Wait- that's exactly what you're doing!"

"Amanda, sweetheart, I told you- you don't have to be involved in this. In fact it's better if you're not. It's just gonna be me and Robert," Grayson said, arms crossed. He's not going to let her change his mind. He was familiar with her taking advantage of his self doubt. But not today.

"Dad, please," Amanda begged, in a fearful tone. "I don't want to go back to the lab. I don't want you to go back to the lab. Look, I know I don't talk to you a lot about...emotional things..."

"I know, dear. I just want to give you some space. Sometimes you need to talk and sometimes you need...space. And I'm not gonna make you talk when you don't want to," Grayson said.

Amanda nodded. "I appreciate that, Dad." She sniffled. "I just don't think finding Lucien is worth it."

"What? Amanda, I know you're afraid, but Lucien is a friend and an innocent. We're the only ones who know where he really is and we have to help out somehow...of course without telling everyone of the truth about...us."

Amanda sniffed and looked away, a bit in shame of her willingness to let the lab take away another innocent.

"Robert is going to help us. I know it," Grayson said.

"You mean you never even asked him yet? How do you know he will?" Amanda whispered.

"Because I know him. He's not one to let someone he cares about down." Grayson stepped forward and gave his daughter a comforting hug. She took it and they stood together in the silence until they both went stiff.  
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Robert put down his empty shot of whiskey. "So that's where you come from..."

"Yes," Grayson sighed. "And that's where Lucien is."

The older man's face was nearly empty save for a curious twitch of the eyebrow and a glint of anger in his eye. "But you say I can't tell anyone about this."

"No."

Robert nodded to himself. "Yeah. I'll help you out. I guess you know how to pick your allies."

"You're more...than just an ally..." Grayson blushed. Now that was just corny.

"Why? Because we slept together?"

"Wh...what? Why would it be about that?" Grayson tried to find a joke in his face but found nothing. "Robert. I care about you. And it's not about the...you know..."

"Sex?"

"You don't have to say it outloud," Grayson muttered.

"What? Is it a cuss word now?" Robert asked.

"Can we just...focus on what's important? Getting Lucien home safely is what matters." Grayson gulped. "We have to...break into the lab."

Robert nodded. "Alright. So where is it?"

Grayson turned pale. "Um. I don't...I don't know."

Robert attempted to suppress a belch. "Great. Well, what's our course of action? I don't suppose we'll find the location on Google Maps."

"Not exactly. You see, when Amanda and I were smuggled out of the lab, we were hiding in cargo crates. Neither of us saw anything on our way out. The only things I know for sure is that there are fifty labs in the United States. One for each state. They are connected through their mantra and their purpose, but they work independently to avoid any transmissions being caught by outsiders. The one me and Amanda escaped from was in Nevada. So I'm going to guess that Lucien is in the one that's here, in Massachusetts."

"Alright," Robert groaned and stood up from his seat. He rubbed at his eyes. "I think we have multiple options about finding this lab. One: we can find an agent, interrogate him-"

"Those agents were made to be tough as steel. They've been conditioned to lose empathy for other people. That's why they're okay with experimenting on babies, kids, and innocents. They've been specifically chosen through a set of requirements to hold no remorse for their actions- without presently getting in trouble with the law. They have to be stable- for the most part, dedicated to their work and inpenetrable. They know how ruined their lives would be if they dared to cross their team."

"This Dr. Carson fellow...what made him so different?" Robert asked.

"To this day I'm not sure. Something gave him a change in heart. He was my main supervisor. But then he slowly grew more attached to me and offered a way out. I managed to slip Amanda out with me. Dr. Carson snuck us out and helped us start our new lives as normal people. He gave us IDs, money, a place to stay. He taught us the way we're supposed to hide our beast selves and how to integrate into society. He pushed us into education so we could support ourselves. And then he left us a note telling us that he was the last removable link to our lives at the lab. He left an entire emergency manual and that's it."

"Does this emergency manual say anything about going back to a lab?" Robert asked.

"Not really. I read the thing cover to cover and I guess that Dr. Carson never really took into account of either of us two being captured. Because he was only expecting to take me out of the lab. He wrote the manual for one," Grayson explained.

"Well, then I guess we go back to my list of options," Robert grunted. "Two- we go check that police report about Lucien's history. I know that lil' punk's done enough crime to have it written down somewhere. Do you think this happened over a prank on an agent gone wrong?"

"The agents aren't like police. They only care if something pertains to their line of work. Which is protecting their lab or assisting in research and experiments. They wouldn't care if they saw a kid smoking weed or scribbling graffiti or even robbing a bank. It's not their job. But I am liking this idea of checking his history. As in, anything strange that has happened in the last few days."

"When the cop got here this morning to warn us about stranger danger, he mentioned Lucien went to the emergency room over a wound," Robert offered. "That was before you got there."

"You think we can access his medical record somehow?" Grayson asked.

"We could just ask Damien. I'll ask him myself and tell him I'm working alone to help find him. That way attention won't be drawn to you," Robert said.

"Excellent plan," Grayson held up a thumbs-up. That might also make Damien feel a bit better about the situation. It's perfect. "So what else do we have?"

"Well, let's start with that and see where we go. So I'll head on over to Damien's to ask him for the details and you can prepare for the trip. Massachusetts can be a small state but I would bet it's gonna be a long drive anyway," Robert smiled a little. "Would Amanda be able to care for herself?"

"I've talked to Amanda about this already. She's not going to be involved in this but she says she can care for herself. I've left the emergency manual with her along with a lesson on keeping herself alive in the house. We agreed that she'll just tell the neighbors that I picked up another shift at work," Grayson said. "Alright. We ready for this?"

Robert smirked. "Ready."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Grayson finished making his calls to work, requesting an immediate two week vacation. His boss agreed as Grayson had never put in any large amount of vacation days, and explaining that it was a family emergency helped him gain sympathy.

The car was packed with food, clothes, weapons, and an atlas. Grayson tried to keep things minimal. As he waited for Robert to come to his house, Grayson went to go check on Amanda. She was setting up her rock collection on her desk and snapping photographs with the new camera Grayson had got her for her fourteenth birthday. "Hey sweetie."

"Hey," Amanda said, not looking up.

"Just wanted to remind you that we'll be gone for a while. You remember how to take care of yourself, right?" Grayson smiled.

"Yeah, Dad," she snapped another angle. "We talked about this."

"Yeah. Just...be careful, okay?" 

There was a knock on the door.

"I have to go. I love you, Manda."

Amanda put down her camera and hugged her father. "Come back home soon, Dad. I love you."

There was another knock on the door.

"See you later, Panda," Grayson ruffled her loose hair and jogged to the front door. 

"Hey," Robert grunted. "Can I come in?"

"You absolutely may," Grayson said and stepped to the side.

The two men sat down at the dining table. Robert pulled out a thin packet of paper from his jacket. He flipped it to a colored photograph of...a bite mark?

Grayson lost his breath. "This is..."

"You recognize this?" 

The bite mark was indeed familiar. Too familiar. Grayson swallowed and nodded. "It looks like my bite pattern. Only the entire thing is much bigger. Look here- you can see some indentation of the skin where a second pair of teeth hit it." Grayson pulled out his emergency pair of false upper teeth and threw his head back to show Robert his extra line of sharp teeth.

Robert's eyes lit up. "Damn," he said and stuck a finger into Grayson's mouth to feel the teeth. Grayson pretended to bite his finger. Robert chuckled and pulled his finger out. "Okay, I get it. But it's definitely not you who bit him."

"Well, yeah, I wouldn't bite anyone unless they were attacking me or someone else. And Lucien isn't really that big of a scare. He's a trouble maker but even if he got into a fight, he wouldn't be much of a threat to me," Grayson explained.

"Just say the bite mark was too big, you don't have to ramble," Robert groaned.

"It wasn't really rambling."

"Okay, not important. So what can we deduce from this?" Robert pulled out a small knife and began fiddling with it.

"There's a monster on the loose."

Robert glanced up.

"A monster...type 98. It would be the creature whose DNA they infused me with when I was a baby. Type 98 was a breed that once lived in the canopies of the rainforest. When the labs where started up by the U.S. government, they captured every living one and split them amongst the states. As years went by, they tampered with the creatures, playing with their instincts and abilities like some sort of game to make the strongest weapon. Unfortunately for them, none of the creatures were ever suitable for use as a weapon, so that's where the human hybrid project began. I...am a result of the Type 98-HH project."

Robert's face was intent the entire time, listening. "Damn...I just knew our government was hiding something...no wonder all our presidents go gray..."

"I think I know what our next step is," Grayson said. "We have to track down Type 98 and follow its tracks back to its lab."

"...We're...going monster hunting?" Robert's face grew into the biggest, happiest smile and he nearly began giggling with joy.

Grayson couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. "Well, if we're gonna do this, we gotta have some fun doing it, right?"

Robert clapped his hands together. "Let's fuckin' find 98! It's a good thing you got an expert monster hunter on your hands, huh? Well, I went ahead and checked the backyard where Lucien said he was attacked," Robert pulled out his phone. "I walked around the entire area just to make sure and I found something." On Robert's phone was an image of what looked like a claw, similar to Grayson's, jammed in the vent of an electrical machine. A brown trickle of blood had streamed against the electrical box. 

Grayson's eyes widened. "Oh shit!" he cried excitedly. "I know what it was doing! Type 98 has trouble regulating internal temperature due to centuries of its kind living in a hot environment. It's looking for heat."

"Alright, let's go check it out, yeah? We'll talk on the way," Robert said and gathered up the papers.

The two headed into Grayson's packed car and began driving to the building behind the Bloodmarch manor. They hopped out and found the electrical box attached to the side of the building. The claw and the blood were still there. Grayson tried to pluck the claw out before Robert stepped in and pried it out with a knife. 

"Thanks...babe," Grayson blushed.

Robert rolled his eyes, but Grayson could see a tinge of pink in his cheeks. "Okay."

Grayson spat on his hand and rubbed away the spatter of blood. "We can't have the agents in the area anymore."

Robert paused, like a new thought just occured to him. "Grayson...the agents would be thorough. They would have checked every single thing they could around this area if they knew where Lucien was attacked."

"...Yeah, they'd be pretty thorough. But...what?"

"If this claw was here before Lucien went to the hospital, wouldn't the agents find it?" Robert wondered.

Grayson blinked his upper eyes. "You're...you're right. Damn." Grayson looked at the claw in his hand. "So that means...this creature came back to the scene."

"Keep rubbing that blood away. I think at this point we have the upper hand over those dumbass agents," Robert said.

Grayson removed the blood stain and looked to the dirt covered sidewalk below. He noticed a trail of drips of blood leading away from the electrical box and leading into the city's grimy parts. Grayson kicked up some dirt to cover the drips and led Robert in their direction. They nearly walked past a family of dumpsters. 

"You think our friend 98 got hungry?" Robert asked, lighting himself a cigarette. 

"Put that out. You're covering the smell," Grayson said, sniffing the air.

"You have super scent?"

"Let's just say my taste in scents isn't exactly in lavender. I guess I inherited my sense of smell from my beast-mother."

"You mean a Type 98 or the woman who gave you up?" Robert snorted.

Grayson gave him a nasty look. "Look, it's not like she knew-"

"Okay, yeah I shouldn't have said that. Ahem- sorry. But go on about the garbage, you're doing great."

"I guess it's kind of in my instinct to scavenge through garbage. So I'm gonna say 98 is really into it." Grayson sniffed the air. He frowned. "Wait...do you hear that?"

"Hm?" Robert looked around.

There was a snort. And then a chuff. And then the sound of something scratching the pavement. Robert pulled out a knife and stood stealthily at the wall, slowly peeking out. Grayson flexed his ankles but stopped his preparation to run when Robert noticably relaxed. Robert put away his knife and stepped out, right in front of an enormous mastiff. 

"Hey, watch it," a prepubescent voice snapped.

Grayson quickly calmed his nerves and followed Robert to find Ernest with Duchess on a leash. He had a black hankercheif with white designs in his hand. There was a smudge of red in some of the designs. 

"What? Take a picture or go already, you're in the way," Ernest grumbled. 

"Does your father know where you are?" Robert asked the boy. 

"Why do you care?"

"You know the news. The bad news," Robert said. "You should be more careful."

"Pfft. I'm not afraid of anything. I got my muscles, I got my sprints, I got Duchess. She'd protect me," he spoke with a puff of the chest.

"It's still not safe," Grayson pointed out. "You don't know what's out there."

Ernest rolled his eyes. "I know what I'm doing and where I'm going. Duchess, lead the way." 

Duchess sniffed Robert's pant leg and looked up to Ernest, panting. Ernest sighed and brought the hankercheif to Duchess's nose. She sniffed at it intently and hopped to her feet, smelling the air and dragging Ernest away.

"Wait a minute, Ernest! What are you doing?" Grayson called out but it was too late. Ernest disappeared with the dog and the hankercheif.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Abuse and implications of torture

Chapter 10

Agent George unlocked the heavy metal door and swung it open. Before him in the room was Lucien Bloodmarch curled up in the corner in a hospital gown with his piercings removed. His gray hair was a tangled mess and it was fluffed to cover his face, a desperate move he made to hide his fear of the scientists and agents.  
"What do you want?" he tried not to whine.

Agent George held out a paper bag full of something. "It's called breakfast. You haven't eaten anything since we picked you up. We can't have you starving to death."

"Why? Aren't you going to kill me eventually?" Lucien's voice was hopeless. The first day of 'hospitalization' took it all out of him. The multiple blood tests, the examinations of his body, the stamina experiments. The lab workers pushed him to run as fast as he can around a track until he collapsed. He refused to eat anything, fearing he would be drugged.

"We took you in for the protection of Massachusetts- and yourself. If you die it wouldn't be our intention. Don't you know why you're here?" Agent George crinkled the paper bag to fill the monotonous silence.

"Because you sick fucks want a guinea pig to play with," Lucien mumbled.

"Oh, if we wanted to do that we'd...oh, nevermind. But we didn't bring you in to hurt you, in fact if you haven't been bitten you would be home right now."

Lucien blinked and glanced at the bandage wrapping around his arm. "That's what this is about?"

"Yes. You see, the creature that bit you is on the loose in Maple Bay. We've been studying this species for years, but there is something...off about this particular one. It's smart. Not only that, but it had been showing incredible test results. We've never had a Type 98 live so long and act so...extraordinary."

"But I went to the hospital," Lucien glanced up at the paper bag in the agent's hands. Even if it was drugged, he needed food. "The nurse disinfected it."

"We don't know enough about this creature to trust a simple nurse," Agent George replied. "You think we took you in on a whim? You think we didn't think this through? We're just doing what we have to do to ensure a minimal amount of loss."

"Whatever," croaked Lucien.

Agent George sat down five tiles away from Lucien and opened the paper bag. "You want breakfast?"

"You don't have to ask me," Lucien snapped. He reached out to take the bag when Agent George snatched it out of his grasp. 

"Ernest Hemingway Vega. Who is he?" 

"Just give me the food," Lucien demanded.

"We have a means of extracting this information from you, and you know it. It's either go hungry or tell us what you know."

"I'm not telling you bastards shit!" Lucien turned to the side and put his hand to his face, feeling where his beloved piercings should be.

"Okay. It's either tell us and eat food, or go hungry and get in the electric chair," Agent George said sternly. "What will it be?"

Lucien gulped. He was being stupid. Stupid and stubborn. He began to think about just blurting out everything he knew just to take the potentially drugged food. "I..."

"Time's up."

"What?" Lucien shrieked as Agent George grabbed him by the hair and pulled him up to his feet. "Stop it! I'll tell you! Stop it!"

Agent George dragged Lucien out of the room and down to the interrogation hall. Lucien began to cry, tears streaming down his face with no eyeliner to smudge. Two strong guards helped secure Lucien as they placed him into a chair and strapped him in. 

"Please! Please! Not again! I'll tell you!" Lucien begged.

"Then speak!" Agent George roared. "Tell us about Ernest Hemingway Vega or I'll flip the switch!"

"He's my friend," choked out Lucien. "We get into trouble sometimes..." He took a few breaths. "He lives in my cul de sac. He's fourteen. He always wears an orange hoodie and he has a big dog. His dad is Hugo Vega, he's one of the english teachers at school."

Agent George took his hand off the switch and put it on Lucien's shoulder, sending tremors through the teen. "And he's seen your bite wound."

"Y-yes."

The agent walked over to the two heavy set guards and whispered something to them before leaving the room. The guards stood still and watched over Lucien. Agent George came back with reading glasses and a paper file. He slapped it down on the desk before Lucien's chair and opened it up. He adjusted his glasses. "Ernest Hemingway Vega. This boy get's into lots of trouble, doesn't he?" he asked.

Lucien nodded. "We were just having some fun. It gets boring."

"In the fall of 2016, Ernest snuck into one of our lab's bases. The basement of a convenience store. He broke in and got inside. We don't know what he could have seen but it wasn't enough back then for us to have to pick him up. But with his proximity to the scene of your bite, and with his connection to you, I'm afraid we have no choice."

"You're gonna kidnap him too?" Lucien blew the hair out of his face. "You fuckers leave my friends and family out of this. He's...he's not gonna be useful," he tried.

"We made our decision and that is final. We are the ones making the calls, not you," Agent George closed the file. "Take him back to his room, boys. And make sure he eats every last bite of his breakfast."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Minor character death and violence

Chapter 11

Robert and Grayson took a lunch break at a local pub after running into Ernest and the Duchess. Grayson sipped absent mindedly at his soda while Robert scribbled at a notepad. The human-hybrid wanted to take the moment off to think about nothing and stare into space. Robert noticed how stressed out the other was and decided to explain what he was writing later. They hardly spoke throughout lunch and walked together down to the car. Grayson's car was parked in a vacant lot overgrown with weeds sprouting from cracks. 

"Oh shit," Robert muttered. "Head to the car and wait for me there. I'm gonna go back to use the bathroom."

Grayson nodded and continued walking towards the parking lot, gazing up into the sky. Then a noise snapped him back to reality. The sound of a dog's bark and then a yelp. Grayson squinted his powerful eyes and focused into the distance where he saw...a boy in an orange hoodie doubling over in pain before a van. 

'Oh no.' Grayson began running as fast as he can down the sidewalk, dodging staircases that led to the buildings on the side. Without thinking, Grayson let go and unfolded his jointed legs, leaping towards Ernest and the van. Just as the agent threw Ernest over his shoulder to throw him into the van, Grayson launched himself at his head, giving the agent a huge kick to the head. Grayson felt the agent's head snap the wrong way and braced himself for landing. He spun around to find an agent with his head unnaturally against his shoulder. Beneath the dead agent was Ernest who quickly came back to his senses to squirm his way from under the agent before any blood got on his clothes. The boy ran to the Duchess, who lay limply a few feet away. 

"You just fucked up," a malicious voice growled from inside the van. A heavyset agent stepped out of the van from the driver's side and pulled out a gun. 

Grayson quickly turned to Ernest and shouted at him to run before facing the agent. 

The agent's eyes widened at the sight of Grayson's legs. "You're...you're a type 98-HH aren't you?"

Grayson narrowed his eyes, memories of lab workers calling him by that name flashing in his mind. "Fuck you, and fuck who you work for," Grayson spat and revealed his claws. "You wouldn't shoot a precious science experiment, would you? I know I'm pretty fucking expensive."

The agent smiled dryly and jammed his gun into its holster. "Maybe not shoot," he said and pulled out a taser. Grayson acted fast, bending his leg into his body, grasping the wall behind him for support and springing out his foot, aiming directly for the agent's groin. 

The agent dropped the taser and nearly fell to his knees as Grayson kicked away the electrical weapon. Grayson grabbed the agent by the hair and brought his knee up into his jaw and swiped his claws across his face, snarling. 

The agent suddenly got a surge of energy to fight and swung his fist into Grayson's throat. Grayson stumbled back, coughing before the agent grabbed him by the scruff of his sweater and lifted him up against the wall.

"Huff...huff...two in one," the agent growled. 

'Hell will freeze over before I ever go back,' Grayson wanted to scream but the agent's other hand closed in on his throat. He tried to kick the agent but the adrenaline in his body was winding down and all he could manage was some awkward attempts to push the agent off.

The agent grinned horribly and in a streak of sadism, he forced his thumb into Grayson's false cheekbone. 

Grayson screamed hoarsely as his lower eye burned from the invasion but just as his vision started going black, there was a roar down the city block. Robert was running full speed with a knife in hand.

The chokehold was dropped as soon as the agent noticed Robert sprinting at him. Feeling outnumbered, the agent pulled back and grabbed his dead colleague and heaved him into the van before jumping into the front seat and driving away, tires squealing.

Robert continued to chase after the van, as if he could outrun it but stopped as it vanished out of sight.

Grayson stepped over the stain of blood from the agent he killed and knelt by Ernest and the Duchess. "Are you ok?" he asked.

Ernest had a hand over his stomach, breathing heavily. "Your...your legs..."

Grayson's eyes widened before looking down at his legs. He hastily folded them in. "You didn't see that..." Grayson retracted his claws and wiped away a tear that leaked from the makeup over his injured lower eye. "Robert?" he turned his head to find his boyfriend. "We have to go. The agents will be back."

Robert nodded and knelt behind Ernest, helping him up to his feet. "See that parking lot a few buildings down? Wait by that car. We'll take you somewhere safe," he said. He and Grayson proceeded to carry the enormous mastiff into the back of the car and drive away the opposite direction of the way the agent went. 

"What...was that?" Ernest whispered. He held the Duchess halfway in his lap, staring at the men in the front with wide, horrified eyes. "Who were they?"

Robert sighed. "It's probably for the better if you don't know, kid."

"No...no, these are the people who took Lucien, right?" Ernest was too in shock to hide his desperation. "I need to know."

"It's dangerous," Grayson told him.

"What could be more dangerous than what just happened!? You just killed a guy!" Ernest cried.

"Out of self-defense!" Grayson added. "I wasn't even meaning to kill him...I just...I underestimated my attack..."

"Don't think too much on it, Grayson," Robert took Grayson's hand as they waited at a traffic light. "If he had any human decency he wouldn't have even considered kidnapping kids or doing the things you said those agents do. You did what you had to do."

The Duchess whined, squirming to check Ernest to make sure her human wasn't hurt. "Tell me or I'll...I'll tell everyone about your legs," Ernest tried.

"Who's gonna believe you?" Robert asked with a hint of a growl in his voice. "All you're gonna do is bring more agents in. You know, the same people who have Lucien?"

"How did you know they have Lucien?" Ernest asked in a worry. 

"Well, I guess it's okay to explain. This story is so absurd, no one would believe you. And it's not that I trust you as much as I feel it's safe to tell you," Grayson spoke up. He proceeded to explain a summarized version of his story, including how he witnessed Lucien getting kidnapped and left the police an anonymous tip. 

Robert added in the detail of Lucien going to the hospital for a large bite wound. 

Ernest's somber expression melted into a face of realization. "Lucien was kidnapped because he was bitten?"

"That's what we think," Grayson said. He pulled into the cul de sac and parked next to the Vegas' house. "Now before you go, don't even think about telling anyone about this. Don't even mention getting kidnapped. We found you causing trouble in the dangerous part of town and took you home."

"What? Hugo's gonna get so mad! I'm supposed to take the fall for something I didn't do!?" Ernest groaned.

"Make up your own story then," Grayson said and waited for Ernest to get out of the car. He turned around to find himself face to face with a very determined teenager. 

"I want to help you guys," Ernest said.

"What? No, kid, it's dangerous. Have you learned nothing?" Robert said. 

"I want to help! Lucien is my best friend and I want to help bring him back," Ernest kept his voice firm, rubbing behind the Duchess's ears. 

Grayson sighed. "If there's something you can do for us that isn't risky, then fine. Yes. Now please go home."

"I have Lucien's hankercheif." Ernest pulled out a black hankercheif with blood stained designs in it and handed it to Robert. "I was letting the Duchess sniff it so she could find his tracks. It might be useful to you guys somehow, I don't know." He opened the car door and stepped out with the Duchess. Before he closed the door, he said, "I'll do my best to help you guys. See you later."

Grayson sighed deeply as he watched the teenager went inside the house with his dog.

"Well. That happened," Robert chuckled before dropping the smile on his face. "Grayson! Your eye..."

Grayson pulled down the vanity mirror above him and examined his face. "Ouch...ooh, damn," he grunted. "I think it will be okay, Robert. Thanks for worrying. We should probably go...before any agents go around inspecting the cul de sac."

Robert gently took Grayson's face in his hands. "Grayson...I'm so sorry you got hurt today...I will never let those sorry fucks touch you ever again."

Grayson smiled weakly and leaned in to kiss Robert gently. "It's not your fault," Grayson whispered. "I love you."

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first fanfiction. If you enjoyed this fic, please leave any kind of comment so I know someone is liking it. Response is what drives me to writing this. 
> 
> Thanks  
> -Cakeicing99


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